Fuel cooling device



June 14, 1938. G, R ERICSON FUEL COOLING DEVICE Filed June 15, 1937 EIMml-EEE...

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IN VENTOR. 660/9645 E .E/(Jd/V M 4 ZA ATTORNEY.

Patented June 14, 1938 PATENT OFFICE 2,120,779 FUEL 'ooo ING DEVICE George R. Erics Application June 15,

7 Claims.

This invention relates, to fuel cooling devices .for internal combustion engines, and particularly to devices for preventing the boiling of fuel in the pipe line which leads from the main tank to the fuel pump.

In current automotive practice, it is customary to provide a main fuel tank located at the rear of the automobile, the fuel being drawn by suction from the tank by a pump which is located on the engine of the vehicle and supplies the fuel under pressure to the carburetor. The pipe leading from the rear tank to the engine is usually small copper tubing which is necessarily exposed to heat generated by theengine. Attempts to insulate the pipe and the fuel pump have been made, but these have not been entirely successful. The fuel ordinarily used is gasoline containing hydrocarbons capable of boiling at widely different temperatures, and if boiling occurs in the pipe line, the pump'may fail to draw fuel from the rear tank, a difliculty generally known as vapor lock. This difficulty becomes so serious under certain conditions as to cause stoppage of the automobile and refusal to restart until the parts have been completely cooled.

The object of my invention is to cool the liquid fuel as it passes from the rear tank to the fuel pump and, particularly, to prevent its entering the fuel pump in a heated condition.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following specification-and accompanying drawing, referring to which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of parts of a motor vehicle having my invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the fuel cooler forming a part of my-invention, the section being taken along the line 2-'2 of Figure 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view of the device shown in Figure 2 taken along the line 3-3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The reference numeral I indicates an internal combustion engine having a carburetor 2, an engine-driven fan 3, a fuel pump 4, and main fuel tank 5. A conduit 6 leads from the rear tank to a point adjacent the fuel pump, at which point my improved coolin'g device I is mounted.

The cooling device is constructed as follows:

A cylindrical sheet metal shell 8 is capped by a sheet metal elbow 9, shell 8 containing a thin walled cylindrical cooling medium reservoir Ill. Reservoir I0 is covered by cap II, with gasket l2 and is forcibly held in position by the expansion of spring l3 which also holds edge of bayonet on, Kirkwood, Mo.

1937, Serial No. 148,319

slots l4 in elbow 9 against pins 15 attached to shell 8, thereby holding elbow 9 in position.

Spring I3 seats in pocket H5 in cap II at its lower end and cupped washer I 'l at its upper end. Cup I1 is held central by rod l8 rigidly fastened to cap H at the lower end, projecting through elbow 9 and riveted over washer H] at its upper end, thereby holding cap. ll, spring l3, cup [1, and elbow 9 into one unit. v

The elbow and reservoir cap is made detachable by bayonet slots in the elbow and pins in outer shell. This construction lends to easy removal of the elbow and reservoir cap so that the supply of water or other cooling medium may be readily replenished as required.

Within the cooling reservoir ID is a coil conveniently made of thin wall aluminum tubing communicating through the wall of the reservoir at the top or inlet end, with conduit 6 by fitting 2|, gasket 22, nuts 23 and 24, and any suitable form of coupling such as flared tube fittings 25 and 26 shown. The lower or outlet end of coil 20 is connected to conduit 21 in similar fashion by fitting 28, gasket 29, nuts 30 and 3|, and coupling fittings 32 and 33.

Conduit 21, covered by an insulating jacket 34 of any suitable material, carries fuel from the cooler outlet to fuel pump 4. Conduit 35 leads from the pump 4 to carburetor 2.

Around reservoir! is applied, in any convenient manner, a covering or wick 3B, which may be formed of cloth, felt, or other porous or absorbent material and which has strips 31 ex.- tending through slots 38 into the interior of the reservoir. The reservoir is centrally supported in shell 8 by means of screws 39 extending through mounting brackets 40 and the shell and into spacing bosses 4| having base portions 42 riveted to the reservoir as at 43. This mounting provides a uniform air space around the reservoir.

The cooler is mounted at a convenient place adjacent the fuel pump to permit a minimum length of fuel conduit from the. cooler to the pump. It is also desirable to space the cooler away from such heated parts of the engine as the exhaust manifold, to minimize heat absorption by the cooler.

Theopen end of the elbow should face the outside of the reservoir, moist so long as liquid remains in the reservoir.

Air flowing into the elbow at the top of the cooler is diverted into a vertical path and passes down and around the outside of the reservoir, confined by the outer shell, passing over the saturated wick and out through the bottom. This flow of air causes evaporation of the water held by the wick and, as is well known, has a cooling effect on the reservoir and water within, which, in'turn, cools the fuel flowing through the coil.

It is obvious that the invention is applicable to any internal combustion engine, although its chief field of utility is in connection with an automotive engine. 7

The invention is not limited to the forms shown, but may be modified in various respects as will occur to those skilled in the art, and the exclusive use of all such modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

I claim:

1. In combination with a vehicle engine, an intake conduit, a source of fuel, a conduit for conducting fuel from said source to the engine, and a fuel cooling device comprising a container having a porous. covering, and means for feeding liquid from said container to said porous covering to keep said covering in a damp condition, said cooling device being mounted adjacent said fuel conduit and in a position to be exposed to draft generated during operation of the vehicle to facilitate evaporation of liquid from said covering.

2. A fuel cooling device for internal combustion engines comprising a container mounted in the fan blast of the engine, said container having a porous covering, means for feeding liquid from said container to said porous covering tokeep said covering in a damp condition, and a fuel conduit mounted adjacent said container and adapted to be cooled thereby.

3. In combination with an internal combustion engine, an intake conduit, a source of fuel, a conduit for conducting fuel from said source to the engine and a fuel cooling device comprising a container mounted in the 'fan blast of the engine and adjacent said fuel conduit, said container having a porous covering, means for feeding liquid from said container to keep said covering in a damp condition, and a housing so constructed as to receive the blast from the fan of the engine and guide the blast over said porous covering.

4. Structure as specified inclaim 3 inWhich a cap formed to cover said container is connected to a detachable portion of said housing for facilitating the replenishing of fluid in said container.

5. Structure asspecified in claim 3 in which a member forming a cover for said container is resiliently connected to a detachable portion of said housing, a means for fastening said detachable portion to said housing, and said resilient con nection forcibly holding in position said cover and said detachable portion of the housing.

6. In combination, a fuel feed conduit for an internal combustion engine, a liquid container adjacent said conduit, porous material extending into said container and having a portion adjacent said conduit for conducting liquid above the liquid level in said container and evaporating the same for cooling said conduit, a cover for said container, a casing surrounding said container for conducting fluid past said container to facilitate evaporation of the liquid in said porous material, and a removable section in said housing secured to saidcontainer cover whereby said cover and said removable sections are removed and applied together to facilitate filling said liquid container.

'7. In combination, a fuel feed conduit for an internal combustion engine, a liquid container adjacent said conduit, and cooling means for said conduit comprising absorbent material extending into said container and having a portion for conducting the liquid above the liquid level in said container by capillary attraction and evaporating the same for cooling said fuel conduit.

GEORGE R. ERICSON. 

